The Red Cross was found in Kimberly mines (South Africa) in 1901. The rough stone weighed 375 carats and had canary yellow color. It was given a cushion-shaped cut and after the processing the Red Cross diamond had a weight of 205.07 carats.
The Red Cross diamond
On behalf of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, the Red Cross diamond was presented as a gift to the art sale held in London by Christies in 1918. It is said that this large diamond has special features: following exposure to bright light it emits the absorbed rays and becomes self-luminous in the dark; a Maltese Cross is distinctly visible in the top facet and that is where its name came from.
It was stated that a member of a European royal family had bought the Red Cross but it is sure that an American businessman put it up for sale half a century later. The Red Cross diamond has had large number of owners all over the world through time, and most of the diamond trade has been aware that it was on the market and many have viewed it.
Tags: biggest diamonds, carat, diamond, expensive, rarities, Red Cross Diamond, top 10
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